Stair-lift.



Patented Feb. I8, |902. J. M. DUDGE.

STAIR LIFT.

(Application led Oct. 26, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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Patented Feb. I8, |902.

.1. M. Donare. STAIR LIFT.

lApplicatiox) led Oct. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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Denman raras Aram Fries.

JAMES M. DODGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STAIRLIFT COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NE lV J ERSEY.

STAlR-LIFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,789, dated.February 18, 1902.

Application filed October 26, 1961. Serial No. 80,117. (No model.)

To tZZwi/om it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. DODGE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Stair-Lifts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in stop-motionmechanismused in oonnection with stair-lifts or moving platforms orstairways.

The object of my invention is to provide means for stopping the movementof the stair-lift or moving platform the moment any material should bedrawn in between the moving portion and a fixed platform. This object Iattain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view ofsuicient of the head of a stair-lift to illustrate my invention, themoving portion being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a transverse viewof the fixed platform and the stopinotion mechanism with the movingportion of the stairway removed, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of oneof the end stop-motion plates.

A is the head-wheel of the stairway.

B is the endless-belt conveyer, made up in the present instance of aseries of links coupled together, which can be so flexed as to formsteps and risers on the inclined elevating-run of the stair-lift.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular formof endless-belt conveyer, whether it is a moving stairway or simply amoving inclined plane, and my invention may be used in connection with amoving horizontal platform, if desired.

D is the fixed platform at the head of the stair-lift. The front of thisplatform is curved to conform to the curve of the head- Wheel. InV thepresent instance below the platform is a transverse air-duct d,connected to air-passages CZ', so that a blast of air can be forced outbetween the platform and the moving portion of the stairway. Thisconstruction of air-blast apparatus is fully covered in the patentgranted to me on the 16th day of April, 1901, No. 672,359, and theparticular form of conveyer used is also covered by the patent grantedto me on the 12th day of December, 1899, No. 639,154.

Heretofore it was deemed sufficient to make a neat joint between themoving portion of the stair-lift and the platform or to provide anair-blast device for preventing light material, such as lint andstrings, entering the space between the moving portion and the platform;but in order to prevent any accident to a person being carried by themoving stair-lift I providea stop-motion which will stop the movement ofthe conveyer as soon as any foreign matter gains access to the spacebetween the fixed platform and the conveyer. I mount in this space,which is very narrow, a curved plate E, having one or more grooves outin the surface near the upper edge adjacent to the moving portion of thestair-lift to form ribs or projections, so that if anything should passthe end of the curved plate it will be caught by the ribs, and as themoving portion forces the particle in it will cause the plate to movedown against the pressure of a spring.

Instead of making a single plate extending from one side of thestair-lift to the other I preferably make the stop-motion plate insections, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and form guideslots e in the severalsections, through which pass the screw-bolts e', which hold the platesin position against the fixed platform, and secured to the lower edge ofeach section is a screw-threaded lug e2, which is connected to a rod Fby a union f, and this rod is screwthreaded and on the screw-threadedportion is a nut f and a washer. A spring F is mounted between theWasher and a bar G, supported by brackets g, so that when any one of theseries of plates moves down its spring is compressed, but the plate willbe immediately returned by the spring as soon as relieved, so that itwill remain in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1.

Secured to the fixed portion of the stair-lift is a plate H, having atintervals carbon contact-pieces h, and directly above each contact-pieceis a bracket I, which is secured to the plate E, and each of thesebrackets oarries a carbon contact-plate t. A piece of non- IOOconductingmaterial t is placed between the carbon plate andthe bracket.Theplate H forms one terminal of an electric cireuit,while metallicplates 722, placed between the carbon contact vl and the non-conductingbacking t', form the other terminal of the electric circuit. On theplate vH is a binding-post 7L', and also on the plate is a binding-postt3. This binding-post, however, is insulated from the bar H and isconnected to the several plates 2. The two carbon contacts are soadjusted in respect to each other that on the downward movement of thecurved plate E the carbon block carried thereby will be brought intocontact with the fixed carbon block carried by the bar H.

The wires leading from the two bindingpostskmentioned above can becoupled to an electric clutch or any other suitable electric mechanismwhich will stop the movement of the moving portion of the stair-lift.This apparatus is not shown, as it will be understood that` anymechanism now in use may be adopted.

It will be seen that if a person being conveyed on a moving stair-liftshould by any accidenthave any portion of the garments caught by thestair-lift and dragged in between the fixed platform and the movingportion of the stair-lift the moment the material comes in contact withthe stop-motion plate E the plate will be forced down against thepressure of the springs and the two contactblocks will come together andcomplete the electric circuit and immediately stop the movement of thestair-lift. I prefer toextend the end stop-motion plates E around theends ofthe platform, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, andl vertical groovesare cut in the end portion to form ribs, so that if a portion of agarment should by accident be caught at the edge of the stair-lift andbe drawn in between the side of the platform and the moving portion ofthestair-lift it would also act upon the plate rand cause thestop-motion to act to stop the moving mechanism.

It will be understood that the details of construction may be` variedwithout departing from-the main feature of my invention,which is toprovide meansat the point where the movingy portion of a stair-lift orplatform passes the fixed platform or other fixed portion ofthestair-lift.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a moving stair-lift orplatform, the fixed portion of the stair-lift such as the fixedplatform, with a movable stop-motion device mounted between the movingvportion and the fixed portion, said stopmotion device-being adapted forconnection with means for stopping the movement of the moving portionwhen the stop-motion device is actuated, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the moving stair-lift or platform, a fixedplatform, a plate mounted between `the moving stair-lift and the fixedplatform, electric contact-plates so mounted as to be moved into contactwhen the stopmotion plate is forced down, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the carrying portion of a moving stair-lift, aplatform, a curved stop-motion plate mounted between the fixed platformand the moving portion of the stairlift, a spring for holding the platein its normal position, a contact-block carried by the fixed portion ofthe machine, and a contactblock carried by the stop-motion plate, theterminals being adapted for connection with a stop mechanism controllingthe movement of the moving portion of the stair-lift, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of a moving stair-lift or platform, a fixed platform,a stop-motion plate mounted between the fixed platform and the movableportion of the stair-lift, and a side stopmotion plate at the side ofthe fixed platform, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a moving stair-lift or platform, a fixed platform,a series of stopmotion plates, each independently supported between thexed and moving portions, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a moving stair-lift or platform, a fixed platform,a stop-motion plate mounted between the xed and movable portions, saidplate having ribs or projections on its face next the moving portion,substantially as described.

7. The combination of a moving stair-lift or platform, a fixedplatform,a seriesof curved stop-motion plates mounted between the movingportion and the fixed portion, each plate being independently supportedand having ribs or grooves in its face next the moving portion,-substantially as described.

8. The combination of a moving stair-lift or platform, a head-wheeltherefor, a Iixed platform at the head-wheel, a stop-motion platebetween the fixed and moving portions, a spring tending to keep theplate in its normal position, a bracket on said plate, a oon-` tactcarried thereby, a fixed bar, and a contact thereon in line with thecontact of the plate, substantially as described. r

9. The combination of a moving stair-lift or platform, a head-wheeltherefor, a fixed platform at the head-wheel, a stop-motion platebetween the fixed and moving portions, ribs thereon, a spring tending tokeep the' plate in its normal position, a bracket on said plate, acontact carried thereby, a fixed bar, a contact thereon in line with thecontact of the plate, and means for holding the stopmotion plate to thefixed platform, substantially as described.

ICG

10. The combination of a lixed platform I wheel in close proximity tothe fixed platform,

a series of curved stop-motion plates arranged to slide on the fixedplatform between the conveyer and said platform, a rod adj ustablysecured to each plate, a spring mounted on ro at the fixed platform,passages leading from said pipe, and openings in the stop-motion platesin line with the passages, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 15 two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES M. DODGE. Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, Jos. H. KLEIN.

